


Not Your Traditional Cupid

by iblametheghost



Series: Dizzying Circles [6]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DCU, DCU (Comics), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: (god I hate that word), Additional Tags to Be Added, Badass Women, Business, But necessary, Clubbing, Crime Fighting, F/F, F/M, First Dates, First Kiss, Mt. Olympus, Museums, Phone Calls, Relationship Advice, Research, Romance, Weapons, and will be joined later on by someone else, anti-justice league -mentioned, because theyre both awesome, break-ups, broken people who know how to deal with their shit, coffee dates, dun dun dun, egyptian mythology - Freeform, hint hint, i love personalized weapons dude, mick is vulcan's friend and vulcan cares about (in a familial typea way) lisa, ok like this is short, the outsiders - free form (not the book but the comic team), there's been a murder
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-02-15 04:08:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13022919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iblametheghost/pseuds/iblametheghost
Summary: Len isn't the only one who gets to have an epic romance...





	1. Bite of the Arrow

**Author's Note:**

> ok so I know this isn't exactly the expected update, but I just couldn't help myself. Also it's short because it's part of a set up thing :)

Lisa took a look around the club, surveying the crowded place.  To say it was different from Cat’s Cradle would be an understatement.  Instead of the cool blue tones she was used to, warm green neon snaked its way through the building, distorted shadows falling every which way.  Sharp angles formed crevices and nooks throughout the industrial structure, so dissimilar to the smooth pathways of her home turf.  The only thing both clubs had in common was the heavy crowd that packed the building.  Twisting her way through the mass of people, she made her way over to the bar and began to look for her contact. 

“You want a drink, or you just gonna sit there lookin’ pretty?”  The voice was sharp, perfectly matching the angles within the club.  Her careful gaze landed on the bartender, a short woman who’s face seemed to mirror the lines of Verdant, shrouded in the warm green neon tones.

Lisa hummed for a moment before responding, “Whiskey, neat, please.”  Her gaze slid over the slender figure, tracking every quick and graceful movement made by the sharp-woman in front of her. 

She smiled as the bartender slid the drink over to her, with a breezy comment of it being on the house.  Lisa flashed her a question filled glance, watching the other woman smirk.  “Please this is a business meeting.  Least I can do is provide you with refreshments.”  The woman’s smile was playfully sharp, growing as she watched Lisa put the pieces together.    

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Queen.  I had no idea you’d be tending bar?”  Lisa phrased it as a question, surprised that the woman took that much of a hands-on approach in her management. 

Thea huffed a laugh, shaking her head as she pulled up a stool in front of Lisa.  “Around here Ms. Snart, it’s best to get your hands dirty.  We get a lot of lowlifes rolling around here and it’s better to be able to pummel them yourself for free, instead of hiring someone to take care of it.” She paused, “I heard you’ve got that part taken care of though?”

“Perks of having a brother and his friend who have ties to some nasty people.  Keeps most of the trouble away, and when it gets too close we’re not too sad about having to take care of it.”  Lisa shot the woman her signature smile, watching Thea’s eyes track the shift. 

“That would make it easier to deal with I assume.”  She paused eyes roving the crowd in front of her.  “So, you were interested in hearing about our management techniques we use here?” 

\---------------------------------------------------------------

A couple drinks later, the two had gone over the basics of Thea’s business, covering everything from the finances to their eccentric theme nights.  Laughter filled the air that lingered between them, the energy around them buzzing and tight. 

“Roy, wanna take over for me here?”  The question was posed more as a request than a choice, but the man smiled at Thea nonetheless.  Turning back to the brunette across from her she flashed a devilish smirk.  “C’mon, we can move this conversation downstairs if you want?”  Thea’s face was marred with longing, a mask of neutrality barely covering the desire. 

Smirk lining her face, Lisa said, “I’d love that.”  Within moments the couple were making their way through the crowd towards an unmarked door. 

Thea pushed Lisa onto the door and kissed her, hands wrapping around her hips.  There was a low clicking nose behind her, barely distracting Lisa from the feel of the Thea’s lips on hers.  Turning around she opened the door and spun Thea through the opening with a laugh.  Breaking apart, the two began the descent down the stairs, green light emanating from the bottom hall. 

Humming, Thea began to talk to Lisa as they made their way into the basement.  “This is where all our formal and informal business takes place.”  The space was more open than the crowded club above, a large table with computers in the middle and empty smaller tables scattered around. 

“Nice space.  I like the sound of informal, but how do you feel about indecent?”

“Seeing as I run the place, everybody better know not to question what I decide to do.”

A dramatic sigh left Lisa’s lips, “I’ve always appreciated a woman who’s in control.”

Pushing Lisa against the table, Thea smirked.  “That’s good to know.  Especially since I’ve never liked being out of control.”

“Perfect,” Lisa murmured before pushing herself up to lay down on the table. 

The two came together again, more passionate than before, lips and teeth crashing against each other.  There was nothing soft about their touches, all rough and haste.  Thea began pulling at Lisa’s clothes, pushing the woman’s brown jacket off her arms and onto the table beneath them.  Breaking from the kiss, she leaned up before looking down at Lisa’s kiss-bitten lips and lust-filled eyes. 

“Beautiful,” Thea murmured, before starting to pull the buttons open on Lisa’s shirt.  “I could spend all night devouring you.  Getting you to make all sorts of wonderful sounds.  Getting you to _come over and over again_.”

Lisa shuddered underneath the smaller woman, hands moving to grip Thea’s shoulders and pull her in for another kiss.  Her hands moved over the woman’s shoulders, pulling at the red sweater she wore.  The attempt was thwarted when Thea broke the kiss with a laugh. 

“What?  You want me to match you?  I don’t think so, not yet at least.  After all, I’m the one setting the pace here.  And I think, I’m going to draw this out with you for as long.  As.  I.  Want.”  A low growl came from Thea as she leaned down to punctuate her words with bites to Lisa’s neck.  “Even if it takes all.  Night.  Long.”

“Doesn’t—” a gasp escaped her mouth, “sound like a horrible problem to me.”

“Good,” Thea said before giving sharp bite to Lisa’s neck.

“Fuck yes,” Lisa gasped. 


	2. Thoughts of Gliding Arrows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief interlude of sorts...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, so i just like needed this chp here before i continue, so this is like a 'set up' chp.

Thea and Lisa spend the next day drifting between drifts of lust and breezy laughter, killing time before Lisa had to begin the trip back to Central City.  Although neither wanted to admit it to themselves, they couldn’t deny that there was a heavy mutual attraction between the two of them.  By the time it came for Lisa to leave, the two had exchanged numbers with a promise to stay in contact and see where the road led for them.  Thea had even offered to escort Lisa to the train station, in hopes of spending just a little more time together.  Lisa had accepted the offer, not being able to resist the spark between the two. 

Over the train ride back, Lisa spent the time contemplating the allure the shorter woman had over her.  Sexual attraction was definitely a factor, but there was something else under the surface of desire.  Something about the other woman screamed danger and trouble, a perfect match for herself.  If she were to have anyone in her life, they’d have to be able to hold their own against the trouble that seemed to always find her.  Sure, her and Len did some stealing from some organized crime families, but she had always assumed that they were counteracting it enough by redistributing the gains to helping victims of domestic abuse and runaway kids. 

Even if that wasn’t the case, to make the choices she made in life, having a hard edge was a necessity.  For some reason, it seemed that both women’s jagged edges lined up perfectly with each-other’s.  They were both brash and forward, understanding of the trust issues that each woman had.  Lisa knew that trying to start up a relationship with both people having problems with trust was going to be a challenge, but one that had the promise of possibility.  Neither would be immediately open to the other, and chances were there would be a bounty of misunderstandings at first. 

As the train was pulling into Central, Lisa had an idea:  Lenny had found someone he was able to be open with, and it seemed mainly because the other man was so earnest and…soft compared to him.  The thought was a strange one, but one that didn’t have her immediately reeling.  Maybe, she could strengthen the blooming relationship between her and Thea by bringing in someone like her brother had found.  Not necessarily a counselor or something of the like, but maybe another person that they both had…interest in. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Thea spent the afternoon after Lisa left taking inventory in the back of the club, mind split between two thoughts.  One part kept track of the bottles, the other of her emotions towards Lisa.  A part of her knew it would be easier to keep the night between them as a one-night stand.  On the other hand, there was something alluring about the taller woman.  There was some part of Lisa that called to her own splintered soul.   

She had already done some background research into the other woman, and knew that both their lives hadn’t had the easiest course.  Thea knew that a relationship with one person who was broken was challenging enough.  Roy had tried to heal her, but eventually it was just too much strain on them and they decided they’d rather be friends than enemies.  She could only imagine how difficult it would be in a relationship where both had their fair share of issues. 

Deciding that her best hope right now was to talk this out with somebody, she called one of her closest friends.  The two had met through a mutual friend, and had grown closer over their shared interest in investigating and digging up the truth of things.  With a sigh she called the one person she knew could understand the problems of dealing with someone broken: Iris. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooo ok next chp (whenever i get there lol) is gonna be longer i swear and much better


	3. Arrow Pricked Flower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for some relationship advice...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what? a surprise chapter? who would've imagined (not me lol)?

Iris thought her day was going well.  For her life, it seemed to be going unusually normal.  Barry had said he was planning on moving back to Central, and Joe and her couldn’t be more excited about the possibility.  Her job as a journalist was finally starting to take-off, after all there had seemed to be an increase in criminal activity within Central that worked in her favor.  She’d even managed to snag the last blueberry croissant this morning on her way to work.  Overall, things were going peachy for her today. 

Then she got the phone call.

Thea and Iris had met after Barry’s trip to Central, Barry having made sure to inform his closest friend about the thralls of the bunch he’d met in Star.  After hearing about the dagger-like woman who had scared Barry shitless, she knew that she had to at least try in forming a friendship with the other woman.  Anything that could help keep Barry in line, especially when he began making love-life decisions without her input, she wanted to keep as close as she could.  So, it was no surprise that after reaching out Thea and she became fast friends, spending most of their time texting or video-chatting.  Which was why she quickly became apprehensive about what could be wrong for the other woman to have taken the time out to call instead of their usual methods. 

“Thea, hey, what’s up?” she asked, worry lining her face. 

“Got a minute?  I’ve got some pretty heavy stuff I need to go over with someone.”  Thea’s voice was heavy, exertion tinging the edges. 

Sitting down on a bench outside her office’s building, Thea prepared herself for whatever could be troubling the strong woman.  “I’m on a lunch break, so you’ve got some time right now.  Lay it on me.”

“Ok so, I kinda met someone last night?  Normally I’d shrug it off, especially after everything that happened with Roy, but I don’t know Iris.  There’s something about her that just screams to me.”

Interrupting the other woman, Iris questioned, “How’d you meet this chick?”

“Ha, she actually runs a nightclub over in Central.  Wanted some business tips about how Verdant got to be so successful.  A couple drinks later and, well, we ended up ‘taking care of business’ in the basement.”

Iris laughed, the noise filling the busy street around her.  “Of course you’d manage to turn a professional meeting into a casual hook-up.”

A shocked noise came from the other end of the line.  “Excuse me for going after what I want!  Not everybody’s in a stable relationship!”

“Don’t remind me,” Iris complained, her head falling into her hand.  “Things might not be going as well as everyone’s been thinking.  We’ve been thinking about trying to move in together to see if that can help in the least bit, but it’s going to be a trial for both of us.”

“I’m so sorry, Iris.  That sucks major dick.”  Silence settled over the line as the two took in what each other was saying. 

“Sorry, you didn’t call me to hear me complain about my strained relationship.  What’s the big issue you’ve got about the girl?”

“Are you sure?  If you want, I can call you back later and we both can share our relationship woes?”

Iris knew the other woman was sincere in her question, but also knew that she herself wasn’t ready to talk about Eddie and herself right now.  “No, it’s fine Thea.  Please, what’d you really want to talk about?”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”  Thea paused, giving the other woman a possible out.  When the silence began to stretch she continued.  “It’s just, so, being me, I did some research before we met up.  Normal, right?  Well, one of the things that stuck out to me was that she’s also got a bit of a rough past.  But Iris, I swear, there was like an instant connection between us.  She’s witty, and sassy, and beautiful.  Oh my god, Iris, she’s a goddess like you, I swear.  I don’t know what it is, but I haven’t gotten her out of my mind since she’s left!”  A groan sounded from the other end of the line.  “What am I gonna do, Iris?”

A small laugh escaped Iris before she could even think about containing it.  “Well first, you’re going to take a breath.  To me, it sounds like you’ve at least got a major case of puppy love.  I don’t know if there’s anything…substantial between the two of you, but you do sound like you adore her.  Maybe you should just start off slow, or as slow as you can since you started off fast, and see how it goes from there.  Test the waters and that sort of thing, try not to rush it you know.”

“Are you sure, Iris.  I mean, a part of me knows you’re definitely right.  Buuuuuuttttt, there’s also another part of me that just wants to go full on ‘domestic’ with her, or at least as much as I could.”  Thea gave a short laugh before continuing.  “Coming from me I can only imagine how ridiculous that idea is.  Hell, it sounds ridiculous to me!”  She sighed and Iris could swear she heard the dream-like mix of wonder and lust from her friend.  “God, there’s just something about her that makes me want to fuck her into oblivion and then make her breakfast in the morning.  I know that for most people that’d be, what, normal, I guess?  But, Iris I swear, I don’t remember feeling like this since I was in high school I think.”

“Really,” Iris’ voice was incredulous, even though she knew that Thea’s life hadn’t been the easiest.  “Not even with Roy?  I thought you two were pretty solid when you were together?”

“Sure there was attraction, but nothing like this…desire I feel towards her.  Ugh why can’t love just be ‘here’s your person, have fun’ and done?  Instead I’m left wondering if this is just puppy love or something more.”

“Thea, I hate to cut you off, especially when we’re just starting to get somewhere, but I have to head back to work soon.”  Iris winced as she spoke, wishing she could keep talking to her friend instead of going back to her job. 

“That’s fine Iris.  Thank you so much for listening to me rant about my love-life debacle.  I’ll take your advice and move slowly, see how that goes.  I’ll be sure to let you know once I’ve got some more details for you.  Thanks again, Iris.  Good luck with the rest of your day!”

Thea hung up and Iris was left to smirk at her friend’s problem.  She was glad that things were working out for her friend, even if her own relationship was on the rocks.  Getting up from the bench, she went back inside, thinking about how much she enjoyed hearing about the other woman’s life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear this is getting somewhere, its just like, getting set up  
> btw, come rant at me here or on tumblr: iblametheghost


	4. The Flower and the Butterfly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ooooo things are getting goooooodddd

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this takes place around shareable secrets

Lisa wondered if things were finally looking up for her brother and her.  The two had managed to form a successful nightclub, keep necessary crime to a minimum, and Lenny had even found himself (courtesy of her help) someone that he was quickly falling in love with.  Even Thea and she had grown closer, sharing quick messages with each other, keeping them light and entertaining.  It was an easy rhythm that developed between the two, both wanting something more but only pushing the edges.  Instead of seeing where that path would take them, content to assuage Len’s worries about dating Barry. 

Since she had encountered the younger man, a sort of fondness for him had settled, his innocence and naivete being both new and amusing.  Len would come to her, questioning his choices now and then, and she’d always be there to soothe his worries.  Ever since she’d talked to Barry she knew the two were right for each other.  Lenny’s high-schoolish behavior was only more confirmation that the two were a match. 

As much as she loved seeing her brother happy, she still couldn’t help being a tad bit jealous of the blooming relationship.  Fairy tales had helped her escape in her childhood, a sort of wishful hope that was left unfulfilled.  Instead of a knight coming to save her, it was her brother who took the risk to save their skins.  Now, she had to watch as her brother found his own blushing prince, and she was left to cheer from the sidelines.   

All this lead to the reason of why she was making her way across Central, anger running through her veins.  Although it was tempting, she didn’t want to be seen as having a direct influence on her brother’s relationship, so she’d come up with a different plan.  Lenny had told her about Barry’s messed up family life, including the man’s cherished sister.  Which was what put her at Jitters’, waiting beside the door for the dark-skinned woman to exit with her morning usual. 

The door opened with another flurry of activity and she looked up, catching sight of her target.  “Iris,” her tone was sharp and clipped, through the moving traffic of the crowd.  Iris turned around, looking back to see who had called her name. 

“Sorry, but do I know you?”  The question was posed politely, but Lisa knew there was an edge of annoyance underneath. 

“You don’t, actually.  That’s partially why I’m here.  It’s time we met.”

“Not ominous at all,” Iris muttered before moving closer to the other woman.  She was a bit taller than herself and carried a sort of authority in her mannerisms.  “What could we possibly have to talk about if we’ve never met before?”

“We both have a vested interest in the relationship of your Barry and his boyfriend.”

“Really?  Why don’t you tell me more about this mutual interest?”  Iris could tell the other woman was choosing her words carefully, already knowing full well that they weren’t on even territory with the other knowing more than she did. 

“Barry’s good for Len and I know that that kid’s too good for this world.  He’d never do anything that could jeopardize something so pure as love.  Which brings me to why I’m here.  Currently, Barry is freaking out because Len is freaking out, and they’re both too stubborn to understand that neither is blaming the other or sees the other as having committed some act of betrayal.”

“How do you know all of this?”  Iris’ interruption was terse, quickly becoming annoyed by the uneven distribution of knowledge. 

“Like I said: vested interest.” 

There was a pause as both waited for the other to speak.  When it became apparent that the taller woman wasn’t going to share any more information, Iris conceded.  “Fine.  What does it matter if they’re both idiots that let their emotions for each other have control over their actions?”

“It matters because I won’t let this get screwed up.  Len’s had too much go wrong in his life and this is one of the best things I’ve seen happen for him.”

“Alright, so you care about him.  Why did you want to see me then?  Shouldn’t you be talking to him instead?”

Lisa huffed a laugh, “If I even tried to talk to him about his love life I’d get ignored for days.”  She shook her head before continuing.  “No, this is the best possible option right now.  Either those two idiots will work it out for themselves, or we’ll have to step in.”  Pausing, she stepped closer to Iris.  “I need to know whether you’ll help me keep them together if they don’t get it sorted out.”

Iris was stunned into silence.  The sincerity that showed on the other woman’s face was blinding that she couldn’t help but nod her acceptance.  “Yeah, no problem.  Len seems to be just as good for Barry, hell, he even helped move him back to Central.  That’s more than I thought would happen after he got his degree.  Do you have a plan or is it just a plan-as-you-go?”

“No plan.  I just needed to know that there was someone in Barry’s corner who’d be willing to push him in the right direction if needed.  I’m glad to know that person’s you.  Thank you, Iris.”

Iris watched as the other woman pushed off the wall and turned to leave.  “Hey, wait.  You can’t leave, I never even got your name!”

Flashing a smile through the people milling about the entrance she said, “It’s Snart.  Lisa Snart.” 

All Iris could do was watch as the other strode away, impressed by everything the woman offered. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------

Iris woke to the sound of her phone ringing.  She moved to sit up and felt a cramp in her neck, jogging her memory back to the night before. 

_Eddie and Iris had just finished unloading boxes into his apartment.  Both gave a tired smile to the other before moving to sit down on the couch._

_“You ready to do this?” Eddie asked, head tilted towards Iris._

_“Yeah, why?  You not or something?”_

_Eddie looked down at his hands before answering.  “I mean, don’t you just kind of feel like we’re trying to save an already sinking ship here?”_

_“Really Eddie?  You’re doing this now?  We really couldn’t have done this before we packed up all of my stuff?”_

_He threw his hands up at the annoyance seeping into Iris’ tone.  “Sorry, but, it’s just seeing all your stuff here.  It’s a lot to handle.  I know you wanted us to try to save the relationship this way, but I just don’t know if…Well I don’t know if I really want to save this relationship.”_

_Silence settled over the room, both considering what was just said._

_“Eddie…Do you, do you really mean that?  Is that how you really feel.”_

_Another pause as the man looked at his hands, twisting them in his lap._

_“Yeah.  I think it is, Iris.”_

_Iris pinched the bridge of her nose, stress and anger threatening to spill forth.  “I’ll sleep on the couch.  Help me pack up tomorrow morning and then I’ll be gone.”_

The ringing of the phone pulled her back to the present, as she moved to sit up on the couch and answer the call.  “Hello?”

“Iris, hey, can I talk to you?”

“Barry?  What’s wrong?  Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine Iris.  Well, physically at least.  I-I don’t know if Len and I are gonna make it, Iris.  I kind of found out about something that happened earlier in his life, and I let him know, but he-he didn’t take it too well.”

“Give me 2 hours and I’ll meet you at your place.”  Iris hung up, not giving her friend a chance to argue.  Hauling herself up from the couch she headed to Eddie’s bedroom.  “Eddie,” she said, knocking on the door.  “I don’t care about what happened to us last night.  Right now, you’re gonna help me load all these boxes back into my car.  Get the fuck up, no stalling.  Barry needs my help.” 

A thump sounded from the other side of the door.  “Jesus, Iris.  Alright, gimme a minute and I’ll be out.”  There was a pause before he continued.  “Is he okay, Iris?” 

“He is fine.  His relationship, maybe not.”  She paused, letting out a sigh.  “So, hurry up and get your shit together, I’ve got a relationship to help save.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wooo another chp down, maybe the one for new years? idk if I'll get to more before tomorrow or so but eh here y'all go
> 
> comment or come talk to me on my tumblr: iblametheghost


	5. Clouded Rainbow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris gets a late night phone call...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooo some semblance of form begins to take shape i think

Thankfully, Iris’ landlord hadn’t found a new tenant yet and was more than happy to have her back.  After calming down a panicked Barry, she had spent the day unloading all her recently packed stuff.  Eddie had been kind enough to offer to help, but she’d politely turned him down, not ready to face the pain that laced through her nerves at knowing the recent finality of their relationship. 

Late in the night, she was startled awake by a ringing, her hand blindly searching for where she had left her phone beside her on her mattress.  Iris mumbled a bleary “hello,” into the phone, attempting to sit up in her tangle of sheets in the process. 

“Well if this is how you celebrate, I’d hate to see how you fail, Iris.” 

A minute passes as Iris ran over the voice in her head, trying to piece where she knew it from.  “Lisa?  Lisa Snart, right?”  She paused and turned to look at the time on her clock.  “Why are you calling me at 1 a.m.?” 

Laughter curled on the other side of the phone.  “Really, you’re not even gonna try to guess why?”  A sigh came from her end of the line before she continued.  “Fine, I mad as well tell you, since you’ve apparently not heard yet.  Barry and Len successfully managed to sort out their woes and are once again in a cutesy love-dovey relationship.  So, I figured I’d call and say thank you, since I guessed we both had to step in to help them.  Sorry, I hadn’t realized how different our schedules were.  One of the drawbacks of running in the night-life scene I guess.” 

Deciding to take a shot in the dark, Iris posed a question to Lisa.  “Do you want to just meet up tomorrow to talk all this over, Lisa?  I’ve had kind of a long day and would really love to be getting back to sleep right now.”

“Hmmm, tomorrow?  I’ve a coffee date with someone, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you stopped in for a bit.  Hell, I even think you two know each other.”

“Really?  We can do this another time if you want, it doesn’t have to be tomorrow?”

“No, no.  Honestly Iris, I insist.  Plus, I have a feeling the two of you will get along with each other anyways.”

“If you’re sure, Lisa.”  Iris paused, waiting to hear whether the other woman confirmed or denied the statement.  An affirmative noise came from the other end of the phone and Iris continued.  “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then, Lisa.  Where are we meeting?”

“If you want, we can meet at my club?  Or I should say, my brother’s club, I just help manage it.  It’s not too far out of your way?”

“Sure, what’s the name?”

“Cat’s Cradle, down on Main.  Swing by at 2?”

“Guess I’ll see you then.”

Iris hung up before the other woman could even get in a goodbye, her body tiredly flopping back down onto her mattress. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> obviously, there will be more, but idk when because school is well...school so who can say  
> come rant at me either here or my tumblr: iblametheghost


	6. This Is the Start of Something New (Pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning + first date = awesomeness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> forgive me for i have sinned (HSM reference, but who cares!)

Sunlight crashes through the window, painting the slate grey walls with stripes.  Iris looked around again, searching for any sign of the woman she was supposed to meet.  All she knew was that Lisa would leave the door unlocked for her, but Iris wasn’t sure whether the woman was even in the building right now.  Pulling out her phone she began to write a text to Lisa, but was quickly interrupted by sharp footsteps coming from behind her. 

“Iris!  I’m so glad you could make it!  I was just giving my friend Thea here a tour of the club.  I hope you weren’t waiting too long?”

“No, not at all Lisa.  In fact –” Iris stopped short as she turned around and caught sight of the other woman beside Lisa.  “Thea _Queen_.  It’s great to see you again.”

The shorter woman beamed, amusement lining her signature smirk.  “You too, Iris.  When Lisa told me that she wanted to meet with you, I insisted that she scheduled it for when I was still here.” 

“Yes, I had no idea you two knew each other until I’d mentioned our first meeting to Thea.”  Lisa began moving towards the bar, motioning for the other women to follow her.  “C’mon, there’s no point in all of us standing around when there’s perfectly good seats.”  The taller woman moved behind the bar, tossing her brown leather jacket onto the counter in front of her.  “Plus, free drinks as a thank you for stepping in.”

A blush flourished across Iris’ cheeks as she took a seat, a kind smile gracing her lips.  “Of course, Lisa.  I’d had no idea you were Len’s sister till I pieced it all together, after all Barry can be quite secretive when he wants to be.  Anyways, it was pretty clear that they’ve been good for each other and I wasn’t about to let that idiot throw it all away because neither of them have proper skills for communicating and dealing with their emotions.” 

A hand fell against Iris’ shoulder, before the shorter woman spoke.  “We both know that Barry can be too awkward for his own good.”  Thea slid into the seat next to Iris, throwing a quick meaningful look to Lisa in the process.  “Although talking about Barry’s hopeless nature is fun, Lisa and I did have an ulterior motive for having lunch with you, Iris.”

The straw stopped moving in Iris’ drink, hand stilled above the glass.  “And what would that be?”

“A proposal, of sorts.”  Lisa leaned against the bar, Thea mirroring the movement, as they both leaned into Iris’ space.  “To start, it might help if you had confirmation about Thea and my relationship.  We’re not just friends, but we’re also girlfriends.”

For a moment, shock covered Iris’ face, before she quickly regained composure of herself.  “Really?  That’s so great!  I’m so happy for you two!”

“Thank you,” Thea’s hand fell on top of Iris’.  “Now, the thing is, we’re looking for someone to be a…third in our relationship.  We’re both a bit…rough around the edges, and we’re hoping to find someone who can even them out a little.”

A thoughtful look took over Iris’ face.  “Sorry, but are you asking me if I have a recommendation for you?”

“Not quite,” Lisa pulled back, giving Iris a bit more space to breathe.  Taking a deep breath and putting a hand over Iris’, she continued talking.  “We were actually hoping that you might want to be our third?”  Lisa paused, eyes running across Iris’ face.  “And you don’t have to lie to us.  We know that the women-part isn’t an issue to you, after all you were with Linda, but if you do have an issue you don’t have to use that lie.”

Spirals of laughter fell from Iris’ lips, a small smile across her face.  “Please! Two beautiful women, I’d be a fool not to snap that up.”  She paused, taking a minute to look across the other women’s faces.  “If anything, I’d have more of an issue with Lisa and I barely knowing each other.”  Iris paused again before standing up.  “Which is why I’ll make a suggestion: You each go on a date with me, see if there is a connection or not.  If so, then we’ll go from there, but for now getting to know each other is a good start.”  Heading towards the door of the club, Iris turned back to the women.  “Text me to set it all up, okay?”

Before Iris had the chance to leave, Thea spoke up.  “Wait! Iris, are you sure you’re okay with this?  Just because we’re friends, doesn’t mean you have to do this.”

A smirk fell across Iris’ lips.  “Believe me Thea, I don’t do anything I don’t want to do.”  She spun on her heel and headed back to the door.  “After all, it’s why I had come here right?”

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Lisa was the first to text Iris, mentioning how her and Thea thought that she should get the first shot since they’d only just met.  The two planned the date for a trip to Central’s museum, the allure of an Ancient Egypt exhibit drawing both of their attentions. 

Iris found Lisa standing in the entrance, two coffees in hand, at noon when they planned to meet.  “Coffee?  You shouldn’t have!” 

 A dagger-like smirk graced Lisa’s lips as she walked towards Iris.  “Please, I needed one just as much as you.  Noon is my morning.”

Iris sighed, shaking her head at Lisa’s words.  “I don’t know how you do that.  My late-night college-life ended right after my freshman year.” 

Lisa hummed thoughtfully as the two moved through the museums lobby.  “I’m not really sure how I do it.  I do know that my brother’s always been the one who’s been better at keeping a set schedule.  I’ve always been more of a come-and-go as I please.” 

“Really?  That must be…always new.” 

Chuckling, Lisa gave a sideways glance to Iris.  “You have no idea.  I swear spontaneity is a delicious cure for boredom.”

“Tell me about it.”  Iris’ interest shown through with sincerity, even moving closer to the other woman to take her hand. 

“Jeez, where to start.”  Lisa hummed again, the two moving through the natural history exhibit.  “This one time, I spent a night driving and found myself at some rinky-dink diner two states away.  Ended up meeting one of my favorite bands while I was there.”

“That’s so cool!  What band?” 

“Ha, they were called The Anti-Justice League.  The lead-singer, Queen Bee, absolutely loves pancakes.  It’s seriously ridiculous.”

“I’m so jealous right now Lisa!  That band is seriously amazing!”  Iris sighed, pulling Lisa in the direction of the media exhibit on display.  “The only show I’ve been to is one for Silver Banshee.  God, her voice is just so amazing!”

The two found themselves in the Ancient Egypt exhibit soon enough, golden tones surrounding them.  “I’ve always loved the Egyptian lore.  There was just as much emphasis placed on morality as there was on the visual aspects.”  Lisa came to a stop in front of an exhibit dedicated to the goddess Mafdet.  “She was always my favorite.”

“Why?”  Iris stood beside Lisa, taking in the enamoring view of the scorpion-headed woman on the stone.  “Any special reason?”

“She was an original form of justice through judgement and execution.  She was even called the Slayer of Serpents due to her destructive mannerism.  Not to mention she had the head of cheetah, which is an extremely fast animal, so that was definitely a plus to child-me.”  Turning to Iris, Lisa frowned, her hands reaching to take hold of Iris’.  “You should know that my childhood was…slightly traumatic, to say the least.”

Iris reached up and let her fingers drift on Lisa’s cheek.  “Hey, you don’t have to disclose every detail to me.  Take your time, and if you ever feel ready, I’ll be here to listen.  My childhood wasn’t especially easy, but I can only imagine what yours could have been like if you looked up to a goddess who was judge, jury, and executioner.”  She smirked as she wiped away the tear hanging at the corner of Lisa’s eye. 

“Sorry I didn’t mean to get all emotional on you, Iris.”

“No, none of that!  I’m here to get to know you better, Lisa.  Sharing something personal like that with me, that says a lot about someone’s character.  And yours, Lisa, yours is good-natured at heart.  You might be a tough-ass, but you also know the limits of your morality.”

“Psh, and how would you know that?”  Lisa tried to look off-put, but all that shown was a nervous energy. 

“Because, Lisa, Thea wouldn’t be friends, much less girlfriends, with someone who was too immoral.  She’d never allow that to happen, which means you’ve got to be good-natured, even if you don’t necessarily show it how most would.”  An awestruck look crossed over Iris’ face.  “Plus, I mean, you set your brother up with someone you thought would be good for him.  You literally were doing a good deed.”

Bashfulness crossed across Lisa’s face as she looked everywhere but at Iris.  “You’re really good at reading people, you know that Iris?”

“Of course, I do.  I have to be, Lisa.  It’s what makes me a good reporter.”  Iris smirked and leaned in to hug Lisa, before the two continued on through the museum. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woahhhhh i think its been like less than a week since the last update, wtf is going on, oh shit, i know, its break (hip hip hooray!)  
> so yeah things are pickin up and im here for that!  
> come scream with me either here or on my tumblr: iblametheghost


	7. A Flower, an Arrow, and the Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris and Thea's date  
> warning: murder involved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I TOTALLY HAVENT FORGOTTEN ABOUT THIS ISTG

After how spectacularly well Lisa and Iris’ date went, Iris was more than willing to continue on and go out with Thea.  Unlike the previous date, theirs took a…different turn.  The plan had been to see the famous magician Zatanna at the Central Stadium, but as they say, ‘crime doesn’t care.’  Instead of ending up at the stadium, halfway there they ran into a road blockade. 

Turning in the car to look at Thea, Iris posed a question: “I hate to do this on our first date and all, but would you mind if we skipped the show so I could get information for a piece while we’re here?”

Thea’s smile was relaxed when she turned to look back at Iris, an answering desire in her eyes.  “Are you kidding?  The GA loves to keep tabs on crime and we do need to bulk up our Central City database.”  Pulling over from the line of traffic, Thea parked the car and smirked.  “Let’s go see who’s causing trouble.”

Moving throughout the small crowd that had gathered, the couple made their way to the front of the blockade, together holding the umbrella between them in the pouring rain.  Upon seeing the pieces in front of them, the two nearly fainted.  Puddles of mud and blood littered the ground.  Sheets hid telling lumps underneath, bits of skin becoming recognizable when they billowed in places from the wind.  Iris moved her hand to grip Thea’s, fingers squeezing tightly.  “No matter how many times I see something like this, it still shocks me.”

Sharply turning her head, Thea stared at Iris.  “This type of violence is…normal?  Iris I’m so sorry for you.  My city is riddled with gang violence, I can’t even begin to fathom how hard it must be to see things like this so frequently.”

Pinching her nose with her other hand, Iris sighed.  “That’s not even the worst of it.  This is the third attack in the past two months.  Whoever’s doing this only strikes when it’s raining and uses the mud puddles to drown his victims.  They even sometimes cut out the victim’s tongues before drowning them.  It’s truly heinous; I have no idea how someone can enact such horrible and senseless violence.”

“Third!?”  Shock colored Thea’s response, questioningly taking in the scene around her.  “When I get back home, I’ll have the GA start considering the matter.  Atrocities like this…should never be allowed to happen.”  Thea paused, tilting her head in thought.  “Have they given them a name?  Sometimes that worsens the problem.” 

Iris nodded, holding her phone to get a video and stills of the scene in front of her for reference.  “They’re calling them Murmur.  I have no idea why.  So far they just know there’s probably a medical background due to the tongue amputations.” 

“That’s terrible!”  Thea shook her head before pulling Iris’ hand.  “Do you have everything you need for a report?  We really shouldn’t stay here and keep staring at the scene.” 

“Of course, yeah.”  Iris looked at her phone before sighing again.  “The show has already started, and with this traffic we’ll never get there in time.”

Thea pulled Iris closer to her, moving her arm from Iris’ hand to her shoulder.  “How about we just go and grab coffee instead?  I’d say dinner, but I don’t think I could take eating a full meal after this.”

“Coffee sounds great right now, Thea.”

After spending an hour in traffic, the two finally reached a decent coffee place, and settled into a corner booth that was tucked away in the back.  Iris sipped on her tea, Thea on her hot chocolate, a plate of warm cinnamon scones sitting between them. 

“I’m glad your date with Lisa went well, at least.”

A small smile spread across Iris’ face.  “It was good.  We learned a bit about each other, Ancient Egypt, and had a fun time.”  Iris looked conflicted for a second before the smile replaced the tiny frown.  “Besides, I’d rather have our date have this happen, then with Lisa.  You and I know each other already thankfully, whereas my encounters with Lisa had been short and succinct.” 

“That’s true,” Thea laughed.  “Still, I’m sorry that this didn’t go as well as it could have.” 

Silence fell between the two as they each considered what had been said.  “I’m glad that you and Lisa asked me to be your third, by the way.  If it’s not too intrusive, can I ask why?  I mean, why me?” 

“Sure!  Lisa and I had discussed the possibility, and both concluded that, if we were to have a third, they’d need to be…better than us.  And I don’t mean that in a ‘I’m not worthy’ kind of way, but more in a…Our morals tend to stray from just type of way.  You, you’re strong Iris.  You know when too far is too far or not far enough.  And even though you have had a rough past too, you’re still…on the good side.  More than we are.”  A blush covered Thea’s face, as she looked down at the table. 

Iris shifted closer to Thea, moving a hand to press against the other woman’s cheek.  “Thea that was beautiful.  Thank you so much.”

“Of course, Iris.  Honestly, you’re so strong-willed and good-hearted that it’s astonishing.”  A playful look crossed Thea’s face.  “Plus, you’re smoking hot, which is a major bonus.” 

Iris laughed, the sound easy-flowing and light.  “You’re not too shabby yourself, Queen.”  She winked, making Thea laugh in turn. 

As the laughter petered out, the two looked at each other, smiles lining their faces.  “Would it be okay, Iris, if I kissed you?”

At a loss for words, Iris nodded.  Thea leaned in, hands moving to cup Iris’ face, pulling her closer.  Their lips met in a soft kiss, Thea taking the lead and pressing against the other in a way that screamed determination and comfort all at once.

Breaking apart from the kiss, Iris looked at Thea.  “You know what I think?”

“What?” 

“I think,” Iris continued, “that we should have a group date.  All three of us, together.”

“That sounds perfect, Iris.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh i have no idea where im goin with this, i think there may be a plot now (idk y'all)  
> come scream at me in the comments or on my tumblr: iblametheghost  
> also check out my spotify playlists, they're all based on comic characters (including lisa, lisa x iris, coldflash, etc)  
> https://open.spotify.com/user/dangeroussmile?si=pgo4u6XASWGLZFx_lV491A


	8. This Is the Start of Something New (Pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> group date~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> l guess there's a plot now? (is this how that happens in other fics?)

The three women decided to schedule the date to occur in Central, as two of the three lived in the city.  Instead of trying to figure out an activity to do, they settled for a low-key picnic in Central’s park.  Thankfully, the weather held for them, and the sun shone through the drifting clouds.  Lisa spread out a blanket, thick and heavy against the swaying grass, while Iris oversaw the food and Thea the wine.  The three settled down underneath the shade of an oak tree, the sun high in the sky and the heat hazy.  Sandwiches were passed around, the wine flowed, and the conversation began to stir. 

“Iris, I’m so glad you agreed to go on a date with the both us!  I mean, of course it would’ve been okay if you’d said no, or even only wanted to date one of us, but I’m really glad it’s been working out so far!”  Lisa’s words were rushed, almost as if she was slightly scared to admit the thought out loud. 

Iris moved a hand over to Lisa, pressing it against Lisa’s shoulder.  “Puh-lease, you two are wonderful!  It would’ve been too hard to resist you guys.  Plus, I’ve always been a sucker for pretty girls and danger.”  She winked as laughter trickled out, easing some of the group’s nervous energy. 

“Still, Iris, we really appreciate the fact that you said yes and were willing to even try a dynamic like this.”  Thea’s words were light but the tone sharp, leaving no room for argument otherwise.  “By the way, Iris, how’d the piece you did on those murders go?  I haven’t had a chance to keep up with Central’s news recently.”

“Wait?  Murders?  Like the Murmur murders?”  Lisa’s voice was inquisitive, genuinely curious. 

Iris nodded before answering.  “Exactly like the Murmur murders.  Thea and I were on our way to a magic show when we came across the crime scene.”  She took a swig of wine before continuing to talk.  “I managed to pull some great stills that weren’t too gory or gruesome for the paper to run.  Unfortunately, my boss did force me to include a call to action for the police to do…something, anything more than what they’ve been doing.”

“Really?”  Lisa’s voice was colored with shock, disbelief carried in her tone.  “Doesn’t publishing that sort of thing usually include some…negative reactions by the public?” 

“Normally that would be true,” Iris responded, “but, the police are actually the ones providing the idea.  They’ve ran into a wall in their investigation.  It’s why it hasn’t progressed further, why there’s no…obvious suspects.” 

“What do you mean by obvious suspects?”  Thea questioned. 

“It means that they have ideas as to who the killer could be; all they have are base ideas, nothing solid.”  Iris paused again, taking another drink of wine.

“So why are the police supporting slander on their selves?”  Lisa interrupted, the question prompting a laugh out of Iris.

“They’re hoping, this is really great, they’re hoping that the killer will start leaving notes.  He’s already sent pieces in to the police about how they were superior in every manner.”  Iris laughed, the sound tense and strained.  “They’re literally trying to appeal to the killer’s ego.  They hope they’ll get too cocky and then fuck up somewhere.”

The conversation lulled as the three munched on their sandwiches and sipped their wine, thinking over everything that had been said.  “This isn’t right.  There’s probably gonna be more murders because of that.” Lisa’s words held a finality, all three knowing the proposed outcome as highly likely.

“You know,” Thea began, the words cautious, “I think, I might do some digging into this matter.” 

“What do you mean?”  Iris asked.

“What I mean, is that, I’m fully capable of launching a GA investigation.  I have the resources, the ability, the know-how.  So, why not?”

“Okay, I’m not saying I _support_ what I’m about to suggest, but,” Iris paused and took a deep breath, “I do happen to have _extremely_ easy access to police information.”  She shot a pointed look at Thea, before smirking.  “Plus, I’m sure we’d make a badass team.”

Lisa looked between the other two women before shaking her head.  “Screw it, I’m in.   I don’t know what I’ll be able to do, but I’ll help in any way I can.”  She raised her wine glass and chugged the remaining alcohol.  A smirk crossed her red-stained lips.  “I’ve got it, I can be the intimidator!  It’s one of my _special_ skills.”

“Are we really considering doing this?”  Iris questioned. 

“Why not? We’re three strong, independent women.  We can totally take this fucker down!”  Lisa’s voice was passionate and fierce, energy resonating from every word. 

“Alright,” Iris raised her hands in a placating gesture in front of her.  “If we’re really going to do this, then we’re going to do it right.”  She paused, letting the seriousness of her words sink in to the other women.  “We.  Need.  A name.  After all, we can’t just fight crime on our own without a kick-ass team name, right?”

Thea laughed while Lisa shook her head at Iris’s thought.  “What about The Outsiders?”  Lisa suggested.

“The Outsiders? Why?”  Iris asked.

“’Cuz we’re on the outside of it all.  We’re not a part of any major organization or any legal force.  We mad as well acknowledge that we’re on the edge of everything.” 

“Alright,” Thea said, “The Outsiders it is then.  One badass group of super epic females, here to do the things that the idiots in charge aren’t willing to do.”

“Ya know,” Lisa started, “I think that this has been like the best date I’ve ever been on.  We had good food, good wine, and good conversation.  And now we’re forming a kickass team to help fight crime!” 

“Completely agree with you, Lisa.”  Iris laughed, the sound light and easy-going this time.  “This is going to be the most fun illegal thing I’ve ever done.”

“What, have you done more illegal things?” Lisa asked.

“Thea knows most of my past…discrepancies.  You’ll just have to hear about them later I guess.”

“You can’t just drop a bomb like that, Iris!”  Lisa exclaimed.

“Did you think that just because her brother couldn’t buy drugs, she was incapable of doing anything wrong?”  Thea laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, what is this like 2 chapters in what 2 days??  
> come scream with me here or on my tumblr: iblametheghost  
> my spotify is: https://open.spotify.com/user/dangeroussmile?si=CoxMcxOeQs2i15IfGUer5Q


	9. Let the Search Begin!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the group starts hunting for Murmur

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what is this like a new record for me???

The three women decided to meet up in a couple of days when they would all be off from work.  Overall, finding the time to meet up was the easy part; the hard part was deciding where to meet.  After a lengthy discussion on the matter, they decided meeting in Star would be better since Verdant was already equipped with the necessary space and tech.  There they would be able to set up a workspace that would be semi-permanent and undisturbed within one of the basement’s rooms. 

Lisa and Iris met up early in the morning, stopping at Jitters to grab coffee and a bite to eat, before heading to the train station.  Although it was rougher on Lisa than for Iris due to the unusual hours that Lisa kept, they had talked it over and decided it was not only easier, but would also be more fun for the both to travel together than by their selves.  They spent the train ride in easy companionship, laughing most of the time over the messes their siblings would get into without their guidance.  By the time they got to Star, the sun was high in the sky with Thea waiting for them in front of the station. 

“Iris?”

“Yeah, Lisa?”

“Do you think our chauffer is insanely hot?”  Lisa’s words held a playful tone, light-hearted and coy. 

“I’d have to agree with you there, Lis.”

“You two flatter me!”  Thea turned and opened the jeep’s door to the other two.  “Now, come on girls.  We’ve got work to do!”

The drive over to Verdant was filled with a buzzing of positive energy.  They stopped to pick up food for lunch, walking into the empty club with their overnight bags and food, cheery laughter bouncing off the angles of the club. 

“You guys have no idea how much fun this is gonna be!”  Thea exclaimed.

“Really?  I imagine it’s going to mostly be a lot of researching.” Iris questioned. 

“I mean sure, it will be.  But, with the three of us doing the researching, it’s sure to be fun!”

“Yeah, Iris!  I’m sure Thea knows what she’s talking about, after all she’s the expert in this field after all.”

There was a pause in the conversation as Thea worked to unlock the door to the basement.  “I’m not sure whether I’m supposed to be happy about that or not.”  Contrary to Iris’ words, her tone was spirited.  The three walked down the stairs and headed towards one of the back rooms in the basement.  They settled in around a circular table, each starting up the computer that sat in front of them. 

“I hope you both don’t mind, but if you’re alright with it, we can just use the GA’s network for our investigation.  That way there’s less risk involved with what we’re doing.”  Thea said, as she went ahead and doled out the food to the other two women. 

“I think I speak for both Iris and myself, when I say that the less risk, the better.”

“Alright then!  Let’s get started.  I’ll take school records and Lisa you take public records and social media.  Iris, you have the police know-how, I want you to tackle the police records since you know what to look for in them.”

The women spent hours digging through records, looking for anything that could be a possible connection to Murmur, while making snide comments to each other.  When dinner rolled around, the group decided to order pizza.  When the food arrived, they opened the boxes in the center of the table, beers being passed around to each.  Thea leaned back in her chair with a sigh, while Lisa cracked her knuckles, and Iris simply shook her head. 

“So, do we wanna do a run through of what we all found?”  Thea asked, even while knowing that there was a compiled folder in system that they’d been putting everything into already.  “Iris, wanna start us off?”

“Sure,” Iris said around a mouthful.  “From what I found, the police suspect that the killer has medical ties, based on the method of tongue amputation.”  She paused, looking pointedly at each woman.  “They also think that the killer’s a man, due to the position and force involved with the knife wounds.  Along with that, they think he’s also probably fairly young, most likely no older than 35.”  Iris paused again, taking a swig of beer before continuing to talk.  “What did you find, Lisa?”

“I looked through social media posts for anything strange or anomalous within the time frames that the murders happened.” Her gold-plated fingernails danced over the table-top in a slow and steady rhythm. “I put aside anything that jumped out and then also looked to see if there were any press releases involving any forms of criminality.”

Thea nodded as her eyes glanced over the screen in front of her.  “I pulled the names of anyone who was at any time a part of a medical program, even including those who were suspended or expelled.  I also cross-referenced those names with anyone living within the area of the crimes, which will help narrow down our search area.”

Silence fell for a moment as each took in what had been said by the others.  “Seems like we’ve got a good start here.”  Iris and Thea nodded in agreement to Lisa’s statement. 

The three ate in silence, before putting aside the boxes and beers.  “Now comes the fun part you were thinking about Iris: cross-referencing.” 

“Don’t tell me,” Iris moaned, “we have to cross all three piles of information?”

“Aw, it’s okay Iris!”  Lisa said, moving to give the other woman a side-hug.  “We’ve got the rest of the night to check over all the information.  At least we’re a whole hell of a lot closer now than the police; after all, we’ve got a gigantic list of suspects to go through and they’ve only got foundational ideas.”

“Yeah, Iris.  Lisa’s right.  Plus, I can think of a few things we can do if we need to take a break at some point.”  A wink followed Thea’s words, driving the other two woman into bursts of laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come scream at me either here, or on my tumblr: iblametheghost  
> check out my comic-character-inspired playlists at: https://open.spotify.com/user/dangeroussmile?si=bNmEe59pSz-cHw9WiINOaA


	10. Murmurs in the Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang comes to some conclusions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its short I KNOW but Im going away soon and wanted to get SOMETHING out there until Im back

A series of beeps slowly woke the three women up, each looking confused as they searched for the source of the noises.  Iris, always keeping her phone near, was the first to read the alert that had caused the sound. 

“’Murmur kills again: What we know about the fourth attack.’  Great,” Iris sighed, the word dragged out.  “Okay, I say we clean up and eat, then start combing through our information.” 

There were mumbled sounds of agreement from the other two, Thea standing up from the grouping of couches first.  “If you guys want, there’s a full bathroom down here.  I’m going to switch clothes and then grab a bite from the kitchen.  We can eat in here while we keep researching, I’ll start on the coffee too.” 

The women separated, each moving in a different direction.  Thea grabbed her bag and headed to the kitchen, starting on the coffee before walking to the bathroom to change.  Lisa headed to the kitchen and grabbed a box of pop-tarts, falling into one of the many desk chairs before digging into the sugary food.  Iris, on the other hand, only moved so far as to grab her laptop and open the news. 

By the time they all came back to their investigation area, there was a whole different air to the room.  Mugs of coffee were scattered across the table, plates of food mixed in-between.  Papers covered the surface of the table, highlighters rolling around on top of them.  Sleepiness trailed each of their movements, none of them fully capable of starting in yet, but each knowing it was better to throw themselves into the work.  They began going through the three different piles of information, making note of any overlaps in the information. 

Over the next couple of hours, they managed to form a group of 17 possible suspects.  Based on the tone and method of the killings, the group decided to focus on male suspects, focusing the suspect pool down to nine. 

“So, who are we thinking about?  I know this Kenny Josek looks good, but something’s not settling right with him for me.”  Lisa posed the question to the group, looking to the others for insights. 

“Yeah,” Thea agreed, “I know he dropped out of med school and moved to Central within a decent time frame of the killings, but…there’s something off about him.  He has no violent record, no violent posts, he seems…normal.”

“Guys,” Iris interrupted the other two women, “what about this guy?  Michael Amar.  He was practically a surgeon but dropped out when he was hospitalized.  His record says he was in for drug use, but Amar claims he was using to ‘stop the voices in his head.’  Once he was released, he even moved to Central.”

“Wait,” Lisa said thoughtfully.  “I remember something from social media about that guy.  He did these…gruesome drawings, beautiful but horrific ones, showing ‘the voices’ attacking bodies.”

Silence fell across the group as they all considered the presented information.  “Do we all think it could be him?” Thea asked the other two women.  The other two nodded their agreement and Thea gave a heavy sigh.  “Alright, in that case, I’m going to send the compiled information on him, _as well as_ the other suspects, to the police.  I’ll include a statement voicing the inference that it’s Amar so that they can have a primary lead to follow.”

Iris and Lisa waited as Thea sent the information, the air in the room filled with nervous tension. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come yell at me about why my chapters are always short either here or on my tumblr: iblametheghost  
> check me out on spotify under dangeroussmile for comic character inspired playlists too


	11. Manifest Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WEAPONS BABY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> seriously like WEAPONS

Having spent the day cleaning up the work space and sharing some quality time together, the three were out eating dinner when they each got the alert from a newspaper in Star. 

**_Suspect for the Central City Murmur Murders Flees Police:_ **

_Police were sent out to question possible suspects for the Murmur murders of Central City in the morning.  According to the Captain of the force, David Singh, the department received an anonymous submission containing a list of theorized suspects.  Although submitted anonymously, the list was tracked back to a Green Arrow server.  Based on this evidence, members of the police were sent out in full force to search for the suspects and begin formulating alibis.  One of those suspects, Michael Christian Amar, ran from his studio apartment when detectives showed up to question him.  A chase happened but was quickly ended when Amar lost the detectives following him in Central City Square.  Be advised the suspect could be dangerous and may be armed.  He might not respond rationally either as he was on drugs and could be mentally ill._

The short article ended abruptly, no further details available, or at least available to the public.  All three women looked up from their phones, eyes jumping across one another.  Iris was the first to speak up, the other two women’s eyes jumping to her.  “This is bad you guys.  Not just him escaping, but he knows the police are after him now.  If he really is the killer, then he could be more dangerous and volatile than before.”

“If he’s not all there in the head, then anyone could be a target. Anyone could be in his sites.”  Thea’s voice shook on the last sentence, the only sign she was nervous. 

A silence fell over the group as they all considered what could possibly be done.  This time, it was Lisa who came up with a solution.  “My brother’s friend, Mick, he’s got some connections to Central’s underbelly from his time as a…problem solver.  I could ask him to put out feelers, see if anyone he knows has come across Amar?” 

Thea’s head was nodding along to Lisa’s words before Lisa had even finished speaking.  “Do it.  Anything to get Amar off the streets before someone gets hurt.”

“Anything?”  Lisa questioned, eyes narrowing in on the other two.  “I might have an idea…But it could put us in harm’s way…”

“I’m in,” Iris said, voice confident and strong in her response.  “I’ve seen and written on killers not being brought to justice, but if you have a plan…Let’s do it.”

“Agreed,” was all Thea said, tilting her head as she waited for Lisa to elaborate on her plan. 

“Alright then,” Lisa breathed, an anxious hitch in the action.  “There’s a weapons maker.  He used to work with Mick, surprisingly, they’re still friends.  Over the years he’s gone by multiple names: Son of Zeus, Aphrodite’s Husband, Hephaestus, and most recently Vulcan.  Best weapons maker in Central; if we want, we could go after Amar ourselves.  Pay a little visit to Vulcan’s shop, Mt. Olympus, and get geared up to take the fight to Murmur.”

“A weapons dealer, Lisa?  That sounds a little risky.  I’ve heard of him, he doesn’t discriminate who he sells to.  He’s made some nasty weapons for some nasty people.”

“True, Thea, but think about it: if we armed ourselves, we could take down Amar before anyone else gets hurt.  It might be risky, but it could save a lot of people.  I _know_ you know how to fight, and Iris’ dad is a cop so I’m guessing she does to.  We could do this, guys.” 

“I’m in,” Iris said, a fierceness simmering in her eyes. 

Thea pinched the bridge of her nose, a small laugh bubbling past her lips.  “Fine, I guess I’ll do it.  If only to make sure you two don’t get hurt or worse.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------

The three women stood in front of the small storefront, staring at the windows.  A neon sign was lit up in one side, bright letters spelling out “Mt. Olympus” in the night, a luminous contrast to the dark sign that hung above the void of an entryway.

“You sure this is the place, Lisa?”

Lisa moved to bump her shoulder against Iris’, the other women’s worry making Lisa laugh.  “Of course!  Don’t worry, Lenny gets all his club’s artwork here.  The shops metal sculptures are a legit front for his weapons dealing.”  She turned, reaching for both Thea and Iris’ hands.  “Come on, I told him to expect us.”

As Lisa pulled the other two women into the shop, a loud booming voice echoed from the back.  “Lisa, it is good to see you again!  ‘Tis been too long, little butterfly!  Come, come, I’ll show you what I’ve been working on!”  The man’s voice was filled with excitement, glee present in every accented syllable. 

Lisa led the two into the back of the shop, finding a man covered in metal bent over a table, welding gear and scraps of metal scattered across the table.  “Vul, I’ve missed your smiling face!”

The metal pile shifted, and a grinning face looked up from the pieces on the table.  A chrome arm moved up in the air, waving the three women closer into the back section of the shop.  The older man’s smile grew, wrinkles showing it was a frequent occurrence.  “Now, who’ve you brought with you?  They must be something if you’re introducing them to some old nuisance like me!”

“Vul, I’d like you to meet my girlfriends, Iris and Thea.  They’re going to be helping me in this little…mission of ours.” 

“Of course, of course!  I’ve constructed the weapons you enquired about, my dear.  They’re all ready for you three, in fact, I just finished putting on the final aesthetic touches on them.”  Vulcan stood up, metal panels gleaming and shifting around his lower body, as his footsteps clinked towards the other table in the room.  “Now, everything is built out of the tough no-nonsense stuff.  Red compound bow.  I’ve got a back brace for it and a back quiver.  Little butterfly here said she needed all of you to be prepared for the worst, so I took the liberty of adding some extra quivers.  They’re all separated, allowing for maximum movement, you can wear them basically everywhere: thighs, calves, forearms, and upper arms.”  Vulcan picked up the weapon and arrow-filled quivers.  “Who’s this one go to, my dear?”

Lisa pushed Thea closer to Vulcan, stepping back and watching as she took the bow and supplies from the man.  “Thank you, Vulcan.  This is beautiful work, and perfect for me.”

“Little butterfly said you have an affinity for arrows.  Figured this would work for you, and I’m glad you like it!”  He moved back to the first table, moving around some of the scraps of metal.  “Now for little butterfly’s compatriot, we’ve got something real nice.  I finished working out the science in it a few weeks ago, and from what I’ve heard, you Ms. Iris would be perfect for the gun.”  Vulcan picked up a sleek indigo-violet shaded gun and pointed at a dummy on the other side of the room.  “Watch.”  He shot the gun, a stream of green particles leaving it.  “This gun takes in any plant material, easily refillable by putting in plants into the barrel.  When the particles it converts hit the target, anything made of organic matter that is, begins being transformed into…Honestly, I don’t know what it _really_ does, but it makes thorns start to grow out of whatever’s been hit.”  He handed the gun over to Iris, shaking his head at the look of awe on her face.

“Thank you so much, Vulcan.  This is…truly amazing, I’m stunned.”

“I’m glad! Now, little butterfly, I haven’t forgotten you.  With your proclivities I’ve been working on something for quite a while.”  Vulcan reached to a shelf and pulled out a shimmering golden gun.  “All you do is put metal in, along with some gold paint, and then shoot.  Anything it hits is then coated in metal.”  He handed the gun to Lisa, smirking at her excited squeak.  “Plus, it’s USB chargeable.”

Lisa laughed, moving to hug the man in a tight embrace.  “Thank you, Vulcan, this means so much.  I’ll have Mick pay you on his next run.  Otherwise, we’re going to run and start in on a hunt for a serial killer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHH this chapter made me so happy to write, like I love the idea of them each getting personalized weapons :) come talk weapons to me either here or on my tumblr: iblametheghost

**Author's Note:**

> EEP! THANKS FOR READING I KNOW ITS BEEN A WHILE SO SORRY (classes got real intense real fast)


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